Mitchell: Resources will not be an issue in Marathon probe; video could hold key

Wednesday

Apr 17, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 17, 2013 at 8:08 AM

NEW BEDFORD — With President Barack Obama pledging complete cooperation, Mayor Jon Mitchell said he is confident nothing will be overlooked as investigators examine every shred of evidence and possible lead in the Boston Marathon bombings.

CURT BROWN

NEW BEDFORD — With President Barack Obama pledging complete cooperation, Mayor Jon Mitchell said he is confident nothing will be overlooked as investigators examine every shred of evidence and possible lead in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Mitchell, familiar with terrorist bombings from his years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston, said the president's promise to bring the full resources of the federal government into the probe means that will not be an issue in the hunt for those responsible. The Patriots Day bombing killed three people and injured at least 176.

"They can fan out and cover things that may not be a high priority," he said Tuesday afternoon. "They can cast a wider, more immediate dragnet."

Investigators will hunt for any possible piece of evidence — witnesses who might have seen someone leave a backpack or some sort of suspicious activity in the hours leading up to the two blasts. They will also conduct forensic and metallurgical tests on the remains of the two bombs to determine what substances were used and examine countless hours of exterior, interior and underground surveillance film in the Copley Square area for clues, he said.

"There are cameras all over that area," he said. "They're in retail stores, subways and hotels. It will be an exhaustive review."

The FBI has requested copies and will also review all video and photos taken on portable devices by private individuals during the marathon, Mitchell said.

If authorities find someone who saw someone acting suspiciously, they will call in a sketch artist and prepare a composite, then show it to the people they interview, he said.

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office will also pay close attention to the method and the placement of the bombs and use that information for comparison purposes with other individuals and terrorist groups, he said.

Hotel and credit cards records and IP (Internet protocol) addresses will also be scrutinized by investigators, he said.

Mitchell said the bombs used in Boston were designed to kill as many people as possible and were similar to those used in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing, which killed two people and injured 111.

New Bedford Police Sgt. Frank Eccleston, who teaches international and domestic terrorism at local police academies, said Tuesday that investigators will also look for DNA, fingerprints and explosive residue left on the bomb fragments they recovered.

Eccleston said investigators will be looking for "a signature" or a method or a style that the responsible person used in making the bomb.

"Every bomber has a signature. They build their bombs a certain way," he said.

He said he believes the bomber's intent was to inflict as much injury as possible. The bomb was placed near a building so it would reverberate off the building and explode into a crowded group of spectators.